FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2009
Contact: Katie Laning Niebaum, Leah Vest
202-224-4843

A Look Back on the Progress of the 111th Congress
By: Senator Blanche L. Lincoln

As the U.S. Senate begins its Congressional work period, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the progress of the 111th Congress.

Every Arkansan knows all too well that we are in the midst of one of the most challenging economic environments since the Great Depression.  The slowdown has affected every sector of the American economy and millions of working families.

Earlier this year, as our economy experienced the slowest rate of growth in over 50 years, I worked to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide the tools to get our nation back on track.  The economic recovery bill has provided tax cuts for Arkansas’s families and small businesses and investments that are creating new jobs, improving our communities, and strengthening our economic security. 

Since we passed that bill, 95 percent of working Americans have seen their taxes cut.  Moreover, critical funds have been provided for teachers, firefighters and police officers and to prevent further deterioration of state and local budgets.  Just last week, Arkansas cities and towns received funds to hire new police officers to keep their communities safe.

In short, the Recovery Act has stopped the bleeding.  We all wish that the economy was recovering at a faster rate, but I could not imagine where we would be without the recovery bill.  Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy and John McCain's chief economic advisor during his Presidential campaign, noted that the recovery bill has helped reduce job losses.  By 2010, it is further expected to lower the unemployment rate by 2 percent and reduce job losses by 2.5 million.  There are other encouraging signs.  In Arkansas, our unemployment rate is below that national average, and the most recent jobs report showed that the national unemployment rate fell and job losses were the lowest since the Spring of 2008.

Also this year, Congress enacted laws to protect workers from pay discrimination, combat mortgage and financial fraud, strengthen the housing market and prevent unnecessary foreclosures, and protect consumers from abusive credit card practices.

The economy is my top focus, but there are also many other issues that impact our economy, like health care and energy, which we must address.

Congress has made significant strides on health care reform.  We began the year by passing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known in Arkansas as ARKids First.  The bill allows us to make health care coverage more accessible for millions of children, which is critical to the lifelong health of a child, a family’s peace of mind, and to our future economic prosperity.

From my seat on the Senate Finance Committee, I am working to craft health insurance reform legislation that will stabilize health care costs for all Arkansans without adding to our nation’s deficit or raising taxes on Arkansas’s working families and small businesses.

According to preliminary estimates by the non-partisan, independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO), our Finance Committee bill is expected to meet those goals.  CBO has said that our proposal should bring down premiums for individuals and small businesses and decrease the cost of health care in the coming years.  It is also expected to improve the quality and efficiency of our health care system.  Now that we are close to a deal, we must maintain these principles to ensure we construct the best long-term health care policy of the people of Arkansas.

Another priority in Congress this year has been energy reform.  As a Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,  I am also proud of the bipartisan energy bill that we recently passed.  I believe our bill can serve as the basis of the Senate’s comprehensive energy reform, which will promote greater energy efficiency and the use of cleaner, renewable energy sources, as well as encourage the use of domestic oil and gas resources that will create jobs and cut our dependence on foreign oil. This balanced legislation represents an important step forward in enabling our nation to transition from an old energy economy to a new energy economy for the future, which will allow our nation to be more competitive in the global economy.

Adding climate change legislation to the reforms already included in the Senate Energy Committee’s proposal is going to be a challenge in my view.  I am opposed to the House of Representatives passed cap-and-trade legislation, which in my view, picks winners and losers and places a disproportionate share of the economic burden on families and businesses in Arkansas.

I do believe efforts need to be made to reverse the detrimental effects of climate change, and I will work with my Senate colleagues to craft a proposal that works for all of America and Arkansas.  During these difficult economic times, as we move forward in the legislative process, we must ensure we do not do more harm than good as Congress considers various proposals to achieve needed reforms.

We have made significant progress on a number of important issues so far this year, and there is more yet to accomplish.  I am looking forward to being home during the August work period to meet with Arkansans on these and other important issues.  I hope Arkansans will continue to contact me so that can continue to tackle these challenges together.  Now more than ever, Americans need to come together to help rebuild our economy and our nation.

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